Process of making gas.



No. 682,038. Patented Sept. 3, I901. E. B. CORNELL.

PROCESS OFMAKING GAS.

(Application filed Oct. 24, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shoat u.

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No. 632,038. Patented Sept. 3, I90l.

E. B. CORNELL.

PROCESS OF MAKING GAS.

(Application filed Oct. 24, 1900.

2 Sheet-Shaet 2.

(No llodel.)

SLo Q WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FErcE.

ELIJAH BEANS CORNELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO WILLIAM C. ALDEBSON, OF SAME PLACE.

PROCESS OF'MAKING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,038, datedSeptember 3, 1901. Application filed October 24:, 1900. S rial No.34,157. (No specimens.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Beitknown thatLELIJAH BEANS CORNELL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Process of Making FixedGases, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the manufacture of gas from steam andhydrocarbons, and more particularly to a process in which the productionof a fixed gas is insuredthat is, of a gas which can be stored andconveyed through pipes at ordinary temperatures, like ordinaryilluminating-gas.

I will first describe the invention in detail and then point out itsnovel features in the appended claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, inwhich similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus suitable for carrying outmy improved process with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewof a portion of the apparatus, showing a diiferent arrangement ofcertain parts; and Fig. 3 is a sectionalelevation of a set or bench ofretorts forming part of said apparatus. v

The apparatus shown comprises a boiler A, provided with a steam-dome Aand supported by a setting B, within which is located a grate O in frontof the bridge-Wall D. Fromthe dome A a pipe E, provided with a safety-Valve F and a press ure-reducin g valve G,leads to the top of areservoir H, which is filled with a suitable oil or hydrocarbon-such as,for instance, crude petroleum. This reservoir is constructed after thefashion of a sight-feed lubricator and has a gage-glass H and anoutlet-nipple H leading to an upright transparent sight-feed tube J,which connects by a pipe K with a branch pipe E, leading from the pipe Eto retorts L, arranged within the furnace or setting B. The retorts, asshown in Fig. 3, are arranged in sets of two, with their shells Lscrewing into a common base L which also receives tubular cores Lopening at their upper ends into the chambers L, which surround thecores, and at their lower ends into the inlet-chambers L The shells Lhave flanges L, with packing-rings L to secure a tight joint at the baseL A verti cal partition L separates the inlet-chamber L from theoutlet-chamber L and a horizontal partition L, provided with a passage Lseparates the chamber L from the outletchamber L The several sets ofretorts are connected by pipes L, which should be protectedfrom the hotcombustion products by being embedded in fire-brick. This has beenomitted from Fig. 1 for the sake of clearness. By the above describedconstruction the steam and hydrocarbon in their passage through theseveral retorts will be subjected to a series of successive contractionsand expansions, thus retarding them, so that the steam will bedecomposed and the hydrocarbon completely broken up and thoroughly mixedwith the decomposed steam. The bore of the pipes L is smaller than thatof the pipe E. Fromthe last retort of the set a pipe M leads to thecondenser or cooler N, the connection being controlled by apressure-reducing valve G. The cooler is generally set within a tank,(not shown,) as is Well known. The outlet N of the cooler connects witha gas-holder 0, having a movable bell O and an outlet-pipe orservice-pipe 0 A branch pipe M leads to burner pipes M having burners P,suitably located for heating the boiler A and the retorts L.

I is a cook or valve controlling the connection of the pipe E with thereservoir H. The valve 1 controls the connection of the pipe E with theretorts L and the valves 1 that ofthe branch pipe M with the burners P.

The retorts should be lined interior-1y with a non-oxidizable substance,such as carbid of iron.

In the construction illustrated by Fig. 2 the steam-pipe 6 leads fromthe boiler-dome to the reservoir 71., as before; but the nipple 71sight-feed tube j, and connecting-pipe 7:; do not lead to the pipe e,entering the first retort Z, but to one of the connections Z, so thatsteam alone passes through some of the retorts and the hydrocarbon,together with steam, through the remainder of the retorts.

The operation is as follows in the case illustrated by Fig. 1: Theapparatus is started by burning fuel on the grate C until steam isgenerated. The heat should be suflicient to make the retortsLthat is,their shellsredhot, or practically the temperature should not be lessthan 1,800 Fahrenheit. The steam from the dome A passes through the pipeE in part directly to the retorts 'L by way of the branch pipe E and inpart to the hydrocarbon-reservoir H. From the latter a certain amount ofhydrocarbon, depending on the admission and condensation of steam asregulated by the position of the valve I, passes through the nipple IIand the sightfeed tube J to the pipes Kand E to finally reach theretorts L in finely-divided or globular form, together with the steampassing directly through the pipe E. While the proportion of steam andhydrocarbon may be varied with, in certain limits, I would say thatsatisfactoryresults are obtained by employing one and three-fourthspounds of crude petroleum (of a specific gravity of 0.875) for everypound of steam. The amount of hydrocarbon should be just sutficient tofix the dissociated steam. The steam and hydrocarbon pass first throughthe hollow core L and then spread in a thin film Within the chamber L",so that every particle of steam and of hydrocarbon is subjected to theintense heat of the red-hot retort-shell. This causes the decompositionof the steam into oxygen and hydrogen and the formation of a fixed gasconsisting mainly of carbon monoxid and of gaseous hydrocarbons rich inhydrogen. By the term fixed gas I mean a gas which does not change itsconstitution or its gaseous state upon cooling to ordinary temperatures.

When produced from steam and crude petroleum, (for which no genorally-accepted formula is known, but I believe the group for mula (Jl-I is at least a satisfactory approximation,) the fixed gas obtained bymy process consists of carbon monoxid, (C0,) ethane, (0 81 and methane(OI-I in about the proportions given by the following equation, whichrepresents the probable reaction:

C II 2 H O I 2 C0 C I'I 3 C11 gg gg Steam. 95 58 23 Ethane. Methane.

The gas produced according to my method is suitable for the lighting ofbuildings, for heating purposes, (by mixing it with air, as in burnersof the Bunsen type,) and for any other purpose for which gas isordinarily used. The gas may be stored in a holder, as 0, after thecustomary purification, if such should be necessary. A portion of thegas may be used for heating the retorts and the boiler or otherapparatus, so that after the operation has been started the plant willsupply its own fuel continuously. My fixed gas when burned with air(oxygen) will yield a practically smokeless combustion, since thecombustion products consist almost exclusively of carbon dioxid (CO andsteam, (H O.) The length of the path of the steam and hydrocarbon in theretorts, or, in other words, the length of time necessary to produce thegas, depends partly on the kind of hydrocarbon treated and partly on thetemperature obtained in the furnace. It will be readily understood thatthe reaction generally cannot be completed in one retort, (unless a verylong retort should be employed,) but in passing through several retortssuc cessively any steam remaining as such will be decomposed, so that afixed gas leaves the apparatus at the outlet-pipe M. The contraction ofthe connections L relatively to the inlet-pipe E retards the flow of thegas-generating mixture, and thus afiords more time for the reaction. Ifind it advisable to heat the steam to the temperature (about 1,800, asstated) at which it will become decomposed when in contact withhydrocarbon before such hydrocarbon isintroduced. vVhen hydrocarbon isbrought in contact with steam of a lower temperature, the hydrocarboninstead of giving up part of its carbon to combine with the oxygen ofthe steam will form a deposit of carbon on the walls of the retorts,clogging them and interfering with the regular working of theplant. Toprevent this, I first heat the steam alone up to the temperature atwhich the introduction of hydrocar bon will bring about the desiredreaction. For this purpose the steam is passed through all of theretorts and the hydrocarbon only through a portion of themthat is tosay, the steam passes through the first sets of retorts and isdecomposed, forming hydrogen gas, and then the hydrocarbon is introducedinto the said gas as it passes from the retorts, and both the gas andhydrocarbon will enter the second set of retorts together, formingcarbureted hydrogen gas, and in their passage through the severalretorts being subjected to a series of successive contractions andexpansions while highly heated will pass from the said retorts as afixed illuminating gas. The reaction will be complete andno deposit willbe formed on the Walls of these retorts. It will, however, be understoodthat the first set of retorts will become foul, owing to decomposition,and will occasionally require cleaning. By varying the relative timeduring which the steam and the hydrocarbon are subjected to the actionof heat I can within certain limits control the illuminating power ofthe gas obtained.

' Modifications as long as they remain within the scope of the appendedclaim will constitute no departure from the nature of my invention.

It will be seen that in my process I employ a conventional type ofhorizontal boiler with its furnace and bridge-wall such as is ordinarilyused for supplying steam for motive power. I also employ a gas-makingapparatus in which its retorts are located on the bridge-wall and withinthe influence of the same heat that raises steam and an externalgas-cooling device and gasometer, and my carbon oil into a highly-heatedretort, there- I 5 by forming carbureted hydrogen gas and at the sametime subjecting the gas to a series of successive contractions andexpansions while highly heated thereby forming a fixed illuminating-gas.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELIJAH BEANS CORNELL.

Witnesses:

JOHN LOTKA, EVERARD BoLToN MARSHALL.

